Building stud construction



May 28, 1957 L. H. ALLlsoN BUILDING STUD CONSTRUCTION Filed March 24, 1952 nnentor Loa/0 H. ALL/50N United States Patent Oce 2,793,725 Patented May 28, 1957 2,793,725 BUILDING STUD CONSTRUCTION Lloyd Hamilton Allison,

Plan-It Homes, California Los Angeles, Calif., assignor to Los Angeles, Calif., a corporation of This invention relates to a building stud construction.

The present stud is more particularly used in connection with building structures in which the walls comprise studs and panels spanning between the studs.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a novel stud construction that greatly facilitates assembly and erection of the walls of a building and also insures tight sealing engagement where the lateral edges of the panels join the studs.

Another object of the invention is to provide a metal stud for wall construction, as indicated, that embodies novel means enabling panel edges.

A further object of the invention is to provide a metal stud that comprises separate panel-engaging elements, and improved means for firmly assembling said elements in a quick and facile manner.

The invention also has for its objects to provide such means that are positive in operation, convenient in use, easily installed in a working position and easily disconnected therefrom, economical of manufacture, relatively simple, and of general superiority and serviceability.

The invention also comprises novel details of construction and novel combinations and arrangements of parts, which will more fully appear in the course of the following description. However, the drawing merely shows and the following description merely describes embodiments of the present invention, which are given by way of illustration or example only.

In the drawings, like reference characters designate similar parts in the several views.

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of the lower portion of part of a wall in which studs according to the present invention are used.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged horizontal sectional view of one stud of said wall.

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view as taken on line 3-3 of Fig. 2.

Figs. 4 and 5 are views similar to Fig. 3, of modifications.

Fig. 6 is a side view of a wedge element used in the form of Fig. 5, and before the same is operatively applied.

The wall structure shown in Fig. l comprises preferably uniformly spaced studs 10, and panels 11 spanning between said studs. Said studs and panels, in practice, are set upon a sill structure 12, the details of which are not here illustrated since they form no part of the present invention.

Each stud comprises, generally, an interior stud element 13, an exterior stud cover plate 14, insulation constituting a vapor barrier 15, means 16 firmly interconnecting element 13 and plate 14, and a wiring cover 17 fitting into stud element 13 and defining a wiring chase 18.

Elements 13, 14 and 17 are preferably made of steel although the same may be made of other metals.

Stud element 13 is formed as an elongated hat-sectioned and thin-walled member that has a web 19, parallel anges 20 that are bent from the edges of the web, and outquick and easy clamping. of theV turned aligned flanges 21 bent from the edges of the flanges 20. Said element 13 may, therefore, be described as a channel having out-turned flanges.

Plate 14 comprises an elongated strip the width of which substantially equals the width of the stud element 13 as measured across flanges 21.

The thickness of panels 11 being known and standardized, the depth of flanges 20 are made to be substantially less than said panel thickness so that, on assembly, web 19 is spaced from plate 14. Such spacing is desired to obviate heat conduction between stud 13 and plate 14. The space thus provided is lled with insulation 15 that not only isolates the elements 13 and 14 from each other, but absorbs and thereby eliminates condensate from the outside being conducted to the inside of the Wall structure.

It will be seen, particularly from Fig. 2, that the lateral edges of panels 11 are confined in channels that are formed by flanges 21 and the lateral edge or flange portions 22 of plate 14. These panels are non-metallic, being variously made of cement, plaster, gypsum and/or composites of these or like materials. It is important that flanges 21 and 22 firmly engage the panels to effect tight -joints between them and the studs. The means 16 is provided for insuring such tight joints by iirmly draw ing elements 13 and `14 toward each other.

As shown in Figs. 2 and 3, the means 16 comprises a lug plate 23 thatis fastened, as by welding 24, to the inner face of plate 14 and extending normal to said plate 14. The length of plate 23 is such that its free end, after assembly, extends through an opening 25 provided in web 19 of stud element 13, the width being somewhat less than the width of said web. A suitable hole 26, the same being preferably rectangular, is provided in plate 23. Said means 16 further comprises a wedge lever 27 adapted to be passed through hole 26, provided, at one end, with a fulcrum bend 28 for impinging on web 10 on one side of opening 25, and provided, adjacent the other end, with an adjusting screw 29 for impinging on said web on the other side of opening 25. It will be clear that an intermediate part of lever 27 bears against edge wall 30 of hole 26 on the side toward the free end of lug plate 23.

It is obvious that lever 27 may be slipped into place from the inner side of the wall structure and screw 29 tightened to draw elements 13 and 14 together as spaced by panels 11. When wiring cover 17 is snapped into place, as shown, said means 16 is enclosed and is tamper proof.

In the modification of Fig. 4, a tapered wedge 31 is shown as replacing lever 27. In other respects, the means 16 is the same as described for the earlier form. Said wedge may be solid or may comprise channel-formed sheet metal.

As shown in Figs. 5 and 6, a resilient element 32 may be used instead of lever 27 or wedge 31. By providing said element with an intermediate seat 33 and initially bending the opposite arms 34 thereof so that the ends 35 are substantially forward of said seat, as shown in Fig. 6, said arms are flexed to a more straightened condition when the element is applied, as shown in Fig. 5. Consequently, the resilient force exerted by said arms 34 as they seek their initial forwardly bent condition, resiliently yet firmly interconnects elements 13 and 14.

In practice, the stud elements 13 are erected on sill 12 and a suitable girder is placed thereacross. To this rigid skeleton structure, panels 11 are applied from the outside and against flanges 21. Then plates 14 are held in place while the means 16 is applied to lock the assembly. It will be evident that each stu'd 10 may be provided with as many locking means 16 as desired.

While the invention that has been illustrated and described is now regarded as the preferred embodiments, the construction is, of course, subject to modification without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. it is, therefore, not desired to restrict the invention to the particular forms of construction illustrated and described, but to cover all modifications that may fall within the scope of the appended claim.

Having thus described the invention, what I` claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

A stud construction for engaging and holding the end edges of adjacent panels aligned with each other comprising a rst elongated metal member having a web with connecting parallel flanges that define an elongated channel, each of said parallel flanges being provided with an outturned flange parallel to the web, a second elongated metal member parallel to and spaced from the mentioned web of the first member, insulation in the space between said rst and second members, said second member comprising a flat strip plate equal in width to the width of the outturned flanges of the first member so that said two members can be aligned with the longitudinal outer edges of the outturned flanges of the rst member parallel to the longitudinal edges of the second member to, thereby, define a pair of lateral and oppositely directed longitudinal channels between said members, the width of each of said channels being equal to the depth of the channel of the rst member plus the amount of space between the two members, at least one lug plate permanently aliixed to the face of the second member directed toward the mentioned web of the first member, said web having at least one opening therein to permit the lug plate to enter into the first-mentioned channel, said lug plate having a hole therein spaced away from the flat strip portion of the second elongated member and in that portion of the lug plate that extends into said Iirst-mentioned channel, wedging means extending through the hole in the lug plate for engaging the portions on each side of the opening in the web of the first member, said wedging means being adapted to draw the elongated members toward each other, compress the insulation, and draw the sides of the laterally-directed channels toward each other, said wedging means having one end directly engaged with the web of the first elongated member on one side of the lug plate, and adjusting means carried by the other end of the wedging means and engaged with said web on the other side of the lug plate, said adjusting means being movable to urge said wedging means against said lug plate.

References Cited in the tile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,600,829 Lemcke Sept. 21, 1926 2,020,993 Chamberlin Nov. 12, 1935 2,048,981 Vass July 28, 1936 2,156,347 McLaughlin May 2, 1939 2,317,634 Olsen Apr. 27, 1943 2,363,164 Waller Nov. 21, 1944 2,376,728 Shaer May 22, 1945 2,472,162 Kuney et al. June 7, 1949 2,562,483Y Bender July 31, 1951 FOREIGN PATENTS 226,658 Switzerland of 1943 

